Dow Today: Chevron (CVX) Leads The Day Higher, Alcoa (AA) Lags

Editor's Note: TheStreet ratings do not represent the views of TheStreet's staff or its contributors. Ratings are established by computer based on metrics for performance (which includes growth, stock performance, efficiency and valuation) and risk (volatility and solvency). Companies with poor cash flow or high debt levels tend to earn lower ratings in our model.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) is trading down 26.0 points (-0.2%) at 13,567 as of Monday, Sep 17, 2012, 9:40 a.m. ET. During this time, 39.8 million shares of the 30 Dow components have changed hands vs. an average daily trading volume of 587 million. The NYSE advances/declines ratio sits at 767 issues advancing vs. 1,796 declining with 186 unchanged.

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The Dow component leading the way higher looks to be Chevron (NYSE:CVX), which is sporting a 65-cent gain (+0.6%) bringing the stock to $117.90. Volume for Chevron currently sits at 364,264 shares traded vs. an average daily trading volume of 5.9 million shares.

Chevron has a market cap of $228.71 billion and is part of the basic materials sector and energy industry. Shares are up 10.2% year to date as of Friday's close. The stock's dividend yield sits at 3.1%.

Chevron Corporation, through its subsidiaries, engages in petroleum, chemicals, mining, power generation, and energy operations worldwide. It operates in two segments, Upstream and Downstream. The company has a P/E ratio of 8.7, equal to the average energy industry P/E ratio and below the S&P 500 P/E ratio of 17.7.

TheStreet Ratings rates Chevron as a buy. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its largely solid financial position with reasonable debt levels by most measures, attractive valuation levels, notable return on equity and increase in stock price during the past year. We feel these strengths outweigh the fact that the company shows weak operating cash flow.

• You can view the full Chevron Ratings Report.

Holding back the Dow today is Alcoa (NYSE:AA), which is lagging the broader Dow index with a 15-cent decline (-1.5%) bringing the stock to $9.69. This single loss is lowering the Dow Jones Industrial Average by 1.14 points or roughly accounting for 4.4% of the Dow's overall loss. Volume for Alcoa currently sits at 1.2 million shares traded vs. an average daily trading volume of 19.3 million shares.

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Alcoa has a market cap of $10.27 billion and is part of the basic materials sector and metals & mining industry. Shares are up 13.8% year to date as of Friday's close. The stock's dividend yield sits at 1.2%.

Alcoa, Inc. engages in the production and management of primary aluminum, fabricated aluminum, and alumina. The company operates in four segments: Alumina, Primary Metals, Flat-Rolled Products, and Engineered Products and Solutions. The company has a P/E ratio of 137.6, above the average metals & mining industry P/E ratio of 120.4 and above the S&P 500 P/E ratio of 17.7.

TheStreet Ratings rates Alcoa as a hold. The company's strongest point has been its a solid financial position based on a variety of debt and liquidity measures that we have looked at. At the same time, however, we also find weaknesses including a generally disappointing performance in the stock itself, deteriorating net income and disappointing return on equity.

• You can view the full Alcoa Ratings Report.

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